Airplane-starter.



M". PE PPEBU. I AIRPLANE STARTER. APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 5. 191?.

1,258,450.. Patentdllar. 5,191&

@Mmmwo; Merrill Pe o oerd m. PEPPERDw AIRPLANE smman. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5. mi.

' Patented Mar. 5, 1918.

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M. PEPPERD.

AIRPLANE STARTER.

7 APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 5, 1917 7 1,258,450. Patented Max. 5, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- I awmwto'z wmwo Mermll 4 Pepperd LQEHAEI QQ M. PEPPIEBD.

AIRPLANE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5, 19!].

Patented Mar. 5, 1918.

4' fSHEETS-SIIEET 4.

Qwuemtoz Merrill Pe opercl IEBBUIL PEPPEBD, OF WILHOBE, KANSAS.

AIRPLANE-STARTER.

Specification of Letterelatent.

\ Application filed September 5, 1917. Serial No. 189,828.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, MERRILL Pnrrnno, a citizen of the United States, resldlng at Wilmore in the county of Comanche 'and 15 State of liansas, have invented new and use- :tul 1m rovements in Airplane-Starters, of which t e followin is a specification.

This invention re ates to airplane starters, the object in view being to rovide means to enable an aviator to turn 1: e propeller and start the engine of his airplane without reuiring the assistance of any other person. %Vhile the improved device is especlally useful in connection with hydroaeroplaneaat will also be found useful on all types of airplanes and also useful in starting all mternal combustion en es, the improvement bein also designed or use on automobiles,

ith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, herein described, illustrated and claimed. in the accompanying drawmgs:-- Figure 1 is a diametrical section through the improved airplane starter.

Fig 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

ig. 3 is a section on the 111118 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fi 1.

Fig. 5 is a detached view of the combined ball and roller bearing.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the combinatmn at nut.

The improved starter contemplated in this invention comprises a rotary drum 1 which is mounted to turn within a cylindrical housing 3. The housing 3 is non-rotary and is provided with circumferential flanges 4 and 5, the flange ibeing secured by fastenmg means 5 to a fixed support and frame late 6 which may in turn be secured to the fi ame of the vehicle. I

Extending centrally thrpughthe drumus the propeller shaft 7 8 deslgnatmg an aerial propeller secured in fixed relatlon to the rotatable drum 1 by means hereinafter more particularly described. Fast on the propeller shaft 7 is a lurality of central gears 9. Meshing with t efears 9 is a plurality of are 10 arrange in circular formation around the ar 9. In fixed relation to the are 10, an mounted on the same shafts or 55 ubs therewith are other gears 11 which in turn mesh with another circular series of gears 12. The gears 12 carry other gears Patented Mar. 5, 1918. l

12 which mesh with an internal ear face 13 on the insideof the drum 1 an therefore when the drum 1 is revolved, motion is transmitted through the gears 9, 10, 11, and 12 to the propeller shaft 7 at an accelerated speed as compared with the speed of rotat1on of the drum 1. Gear holding spiders or yokes 14 connect the shafts of the several gears 10, 11 and 12 at opposite sides of the trains of ears as shown in Fig. 1 and indicated by otted lines in Fig. 2. In order to reduce friction to a minimum, anti-friction rollers 15 are interposed between the outer face of the drum 1 and the inner faces of the housing 3. At one end, the rollers 15 abut against a stop flange 16 of the housing 3 and at their other ends they abut against a flange 17 on an oscillatory rim 18. Around the rim 18 is wrapped a flexible connection 19 such as a cable which is attached at one end to the rim 18, said cable assin around a guide pulley 20 journale in a racket 21 secured by fastening means 22 to the flange 5 of the housing 3. The cable 19 is provided at its free extremity with a suitable handle 23 which the operator pulls in order to rotate the rim 18 and impart rotary motion to the drum 1.

The connecting means between the oscillatory rim 18 and the drum 1, comprises a ratchet face 2 1 on the drum 1, and a plurality of pawls 25 connected by pivots 26 to the oscillatory rim 18. Any desired number of pawls may be employed and each pawl' is arranged in a recess 27 in the rim 18. Located outside of each pawl 25 is a presser head 28 having a convex face 29 against which the cable 19 is adapted to operate for the purpose of pressing the head 28 inwardly and forcing the pawl 25 into enga ement with the ratchet face 24. Normally the pawl 25 is held out of en agement with the ratchet face 2 1 by means 0 a bowed spring 30 the ends of which rest in the recess 27 and the central part of which is attached at 31 to the adjacent pawl 25. As soon as a pull is efiected on the cable 19, it resses inwardly on the heads 28 and throws t e pawls 25 into engagement with the ratchet face 24: of the drum 1. As soon as the cable 19 is relaxed, the pawls 25 are moved out of engagement with the ratchet face 24 by the action of the springs 30 and the outward movement of the presser heads 28.

The drum 1 is provided at one side with a iii head 39; having a central opening dd, The outer taco oil the head lid is rabbeted shown at dd to receive a bolt loclring plate 35 formed the periphery thereot" with notches Elli to engage and prevent the turning ot a corresponding number ot propeller alastenin bolts 3? each oLt which has opposite fiat sides to ht the respective notch as when the loclring plate as is in place, "the plate 355 theretore loclrs all oi the bolts 3'? "llhe head 32 is termed with hey-hole slots ti e to receive the bolts 3i. lhe bolts are passed through the larger portions oi? the slots 38 and then moved radially outward, alter which the loclrin plate 35 is inserted in place. The prope er 8 then passed over the bolts 37 and the nuts 89 tightened 'lhus a firm and reliable mounting :tor the propeller is obtained in relation the drum l.

A bearin plate lid is mounted within the head. 32 o" the drum and termed with a flange ll secured to said head by :tastening means 42 such as rivets. lhe plate dd has a central opening to receive a combined ball and roller bearing, the latter comprising an annular series of rollers it which wort: within the opening of the plate t0, and also an annular series ct balls ll which work within a cage portion d5 of the combined ball and roller bearing. Said bearing also comprises a cage is for the rollers 43; a combined. radial and end thrust bearing is thus provided which will reduce the triction of rotation and end thrust to a minimum, this being of great importance so as not to absorb any of the power of the engine by which the propeller is driven. Another radial thrust roller hearing it is arranged in an opening in the trams plate 6, surrounding the propeller shaft 7.

The end portion of the propeller shaft 7 is threaded to receive a nut' 48 and a loch nut 49 which abuts against the nut id. The main nut 48 is formed with a series ot notches 5d and the lock nut 49 is formed with a corresponding number ot bendable tongues 51. The nut 48 bears against a ball bearing washer or collar 52 on the propeller shaft, and the lock nut 49 is secured tightly against the nut 48 and then locked by swaging the tongues 51 into the notches 50..

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it will be seen that I have provided an efiicient starter for airplane propellers and engines, the construction being such as to reduce friction to a minimum and cause all parts to operate with precision and smoothness and without any liability of binding or cramping and thereby detracting from the highest power efiiciency of the engine. The operating cable 19 may extend to any convenient part of the vehicle so that it will be in reach at the operator at any moment.

"the drum l is returned to its initial point by means a spring lid which surrounds the oscillatory rim lit and is held in place by a guard ring 5t, hnother guard ring 555' is secured to the oscillatory ring ltd to prevent the cable l9 tram slipping therefrom I during the operation at the starter.

ll claim:- l, in a starter oil the class described, the

combination ot a stationary cylindrical housing, supporting means for said housing a rotatable drum journaled within said housing, a centrall arranged shaft, an internal gear lace within said drum, a train oi gears interposed between said internal gear face and said centrally arranged shalt for as celerating the rotation oil the shalt in rela tion to said drum, an oscillatory rim surrounding a portion of said drum, pawl and ratchet means between said rim and drunrt tion to said drum, an oscillatory rim sur-- rounding a portion oil said drum, pawl and ratchet means between said rim and drum, or tlenible operatin 'cable surrounding said oscillatory rim and attached thereto, and a return spring tor actuating said drum in the opposite direction,

3.. lln a starter at the class described, the combination of a stationary cylindrical housing, supporting means for said housing, a rotatable drum journaled within said housing, a centrally arranged shaft, an internal gear lace within said drum, a train of gears interposed between said internal gear face and said centrally arranged shaft for accelerating" the rotation of the shaft in relation to said drum, an oscillatory rim surrounding a portion of said drum, pawl and ratchet means between said rim and drum, a flenible operating cable surrounding said oscillatory rim and attached thereto, said lltl llti

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pawl and ratchet means comprising a ratchet face on the drum, a pawl adapted to cooperate therewith and pivotally carried by said oscillatory rim, yleldable means normally holding said pawl out of engagement, and means operated upon by said cable serving to press the pawl into engagement with the ratchet face.

i. In a starter of the class described, the

combination of a stationary cylindrical housing, supporting means for said housing, a rotatable drum iournaled within said housing a centrally arranged shaft, an internal gear i'ace Within saiti drum, a train of gears interposed between said internal gear face and said centrally arranged shaft for accelerating the rotation of the shaft in relation to saiol drum, an oscillatory rim surrounding a portion oi saiol drum, pawl ancl ratchet means between said rim and drum, a flexible operating cable surrounding said oscillatory rim and attached thereto, saicl pawl ancl ratchet means comprising a ratchet face of the drum, a pawl adapted to cooperate therewith and pivotally carried by said oscillatory rim, yieldable means normally holding said pawl out of engagement, and means operatedupon by said cable serving to press the pawl into engagement with the ratchet face, said yieldable means also serving to press the last named means out- Warclly to permit the pawl to move out oi engagement With the ratchet face.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

MERRILL PEPPERD. 

